


the flower trying to bloom in snow

by TeaHime



Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Gen, Post-Canon, Post-Endgame, Retcon Timeline
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-19 13:22:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13124610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeaHime/pseuds/TeaHime
Summary: Rose wasn’t one for eternal promises. She was pragmatic and lived in the moment; whether it was from seeing too many comrades meet an untimely end or just a casualty of being a mere human with a short lifespan, she could not say.Alisha always believed in promises. She believed in kindness, in justice, even if it meant being hurt over and over again.Both of them, reeling from the aftermath of Sorey's choice, struggled to find their sense of direction - until they sought out each other.





	the flower trying to bloom in snow

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lovelybeam](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovelybeam/gifts).



> _I need not to need_  
>  _Or else a love with intuition_  
>  _Someone who reaches out to my weakness_  
>  _And won't let go_  
>  _I need not to need_  
>  _I've always been the tower_  
>  _But now I feel like I'm the flower_  
>  _Trying to bloom in snow_  
>  \- Vienna Teng, "[The Tower](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCTd8AgWnG4)"

Rose wasn’t one for eternal promises. She was pragmatic and lived in the moment; whether it was from seeing too many comrades meet an untimely end or just a casualty of being a mere human with a short lifespan, she could not say.

She watched Mikleo with a feeling of resignation and the barest hint of envy. Unlike her, he had a chance of meeting Sorey again someday, but also, unlike her, he would have to potentially endure centuries of that aching loneliness, that feeling of loss, for the tiniest hope that he might _possibly_ awaken. Rose would never gamble on such odds.

Alliances were useful, reliable teammates she could trust were invaluable, but friendships were a double edged sword, Rose thought wryly. What could become one’s greatest strength could also become one’s greatest pain in the absence of their presence. She felt this more acutely than she cared to admit.  

As far as Rose was concerned, Sorey was dead. It was a harsh finality she dared not voice out loud, but it was the same if she’d never get to see him again before the limited time she - or any human - had ran out, wasn’t it? As upset as she had been with their abrupt goodbye, she couldn’t find it in her heart to resent Sorey for his sacrifice. Everything he did was not only for his dream (or rather his shared dream with Mikleo), but also for her, for Alisha, for everybody else in Glenwood. She wasn’t about to live the rest of her life with regret, because Sorey - and Dezel, she could never forget - would be disappointed in her.

At least she had had a chance to say goodbye.

\----

Alisha always believed in promises. She believed in kindness, in justice, in doing the best for the people of Hyland no matter how many derisive words were slung her way. Because life was precious and short, she believed in doing whatever she could as long as she was alive, even if it meant being hurt over and over again.

Sorey had taught her it was not only okay, but admirable to chase her dreams even if meant facing despairing odds. Sorey, who had rekindled her hope in saving her country. Sorey, who she traveled with only briefly but had come to cherish as one of her first real friends.

Sorey, who was now gone.

Alisha didn’t even know how to feel - she was not naive enough for denial, yet part of her wanted to hope against the hopeless, because that was what Sorey would have wanted her to do, wasn’t it? Or would he want her to carry on believing in her own dream, without him around? She knew it was the latter, but she wasn’t quite ready to accept his passing, just yet.

It was just like Sorey, to shoulder the burden himself, and it wasn’t something she could have talked him out of had she been there.

If only she had had the chance to say goodbye.

\----

The wounds were still fresh, the memory of Sorey’s farewell too raw, but Rose soldiered on. She had a company to run, and with both kingdoms trying to rebuild themselves from the ground up there was no shortage of business opportunities. Keep things easy, talk the talk, walk the walk, money was simple and told no lies, life will go on.

Until Alisha stormed into Rose’s life, and the tightly lidded emotions Rose had kept in check threatened to burst out all at once. This _pampered princess_ barged in and demanded to know the truth about Sorey. This outsider, who hadn’t been around to see how difficult it was for him to make that choice nor how difficult it was for the rest of them to accept it. It was too much.

Rose snapped. Her mouth spoke words she reigned in for too long, her body moved on its own, and before she realized it, they were tangled in a full blown fistfight. Alisha stopped fighting back almost immediately, and curled over, tears silently streaming down her face. Still angry and a bit embarrassed, Rose stopped and left the room.

It’s not that she wanted to keep the truth from Alisha; deep down she knew that Alisha had more or less guessed it, but didn’t want to face it.

And it wasn’t her job to help Alisha face it, when a tiny part of her still didn’t want to acknowledge it.

\----

Alisha knew she was being selfish but she couldn’t help it. She already knew that Sorey wasn’t coming back this lifetime, but didn’t want to move on until somebody who had been there with him in his last moments confirmed it.

Rose’s refusal to say anything was the only confirmation she ever needed, the final nail in the coffin.

Alisha was lost - _what should I do?_ \- the one person she wanted to turn to the most was also the one she’d never get to see again. She knew she couldn’t always rely on Sorey, and for the most part she hadn’t for a long while, but this was the one of those moments where she wished she could have just a smile, a touch on the shoulder, a small reassurance that she could find the strength to do what she had set out to do.

But there were diplomatic meetings to attend, treaties to be negotiated through, and an entire nation to lead. There were greater things at stake than her own feelings. This was a crucial time; peace between Hyland and Rolance was no longer a pipe dream, but it was a fledgling, and needed to be carefully nurtured before it would grow. Would she let her goals go to waste after so much hard work? She couldn’t afford to fail now, not after the blood, sweat, and tears of both kingdoms’ people.

Sorrow could not be healed so quickly, but it could be temporarily swallowed.

\----

Lailah had given Rose a choice - carry on Sorey’s duties as the Shepherd or aid her in selecting a successor.

It wasn’t a matter of whether it felt right or not replacing Sorey (nobody could replace Sorey). Rose knew herself well, and she knew she didn’t have even half the selflessness and strength of heart to take on the Shepherd’s burden. It’s true she never wavered in any difficult situation, but she also never took anything head on without trying to find some shortcut or some loophole. And those were simply not options if she were to agree to carry the fate of the world on her shoulders. 

The Sparrowfeathers had reassured her that whatever her choice was, they would stand by and support her. Eguille said he’d miss her innovative ideas if she left to become the Shepherd, but they’d definitely still keep the business running better than ever. Talfryn and Felice cheerfully swore to root out any smugglers and thieves threatening their trade routes. Truly, these were some of the best teammates she could ask for, which made the choice all the more difficult.

Likewise, the other seraphs - Zaveid, Edna, and Mikleo - expressed similar opinions. Whether Rose chose to succeed Sorey or not didn’t matter as much in the grand scheme of things, but if she decided not to, they’d miss her company. Zaveid said it would be a waste for him to lose the chance to travel with a woman both beautiful and clever. Edna declared while it was too loud with Rose around, it would be too quiet without her. Mikleo thanked her for being the best human companion to Sorey he could have asked for, and that he would enjoy the chance to travel with her again, but no, he would not repeat what he just said, so she’d better not forget it.

Rose looked to Lailah for guidance, but she only smiled and told her that the choice had to be her own. Rose made a face and grumbled.

There was one more person she could talk to, though she was hesitant to do so.

She could ask Alisha.

\----

“Princess, you have a visitor.”

At this hour? Alisha was just about to set down her book and blow out the candle. She had another long day of meetings and discussions ahead of her, especially since more representatives from Rolance were arriving tomorrow. She needed to be at her best.  
  
“Please tell them I’ll see them tom-”

A window opened suddenly, bringing in a gust of wind that snuffed out the candle. Alisha and her attendant yelped as somebody jumped in, rolled to the ground, and stood up triumphantly. The attendant was about to call for guards until Alisha stopped her with a wave of her hand.

The intruder removed their hood and grinned. It was Rose.

“Hey.”

Alisha bit her lip, unsure of how to respond. They hadn’t spoken to each other since their fight and she didn’t know what she could say now. Awkwardly, she responded, “Can I help you?”

“Lailah wants me to succeed Sorey as the Shepherd.” Rose was not one for mincing words.

And there it was, ripping off the scabs of a not-yet-healed wound. All Alisha could manage was a soft “oh.”

“It’s just that…” Rose scratched the back of her head. “Well, we kinda need one. There still aren’t many people who can see the seraphs and somebody has to go around and spread their messages throughout the land and you know, keep people from turning into hellions.”

“That sounds like quite the responsibility.”

“Yeah it is. Sorey’s still. He’s still-” Rose wanted to say _dead_ , but felt that was rude (thinking it was one thing, saying it was another) since it was technically untrue even if he still was for the rest of her time “-bonded with Maotelus, purifying the land, but it’s a slow process. It could… it will probably take centuries. In the meantime, somebody has to take care of the Malevolence that crops up, case by case.” She exhaled, and averted her gaze from Alisha’s and looked out the window.

Alisha smiled wistfully. It was just like Sorey to have the kind of resolve to see things to the end, even if it took that long.

“Rose, why are you telling me this?” Alisha asked carefully.  
  
“No real reason, I guess. Just thought you deserved to know the truth or something.” Rose fidgeted a bit.

The two women sat in silence for what seemed like forever. The unspoken implication hung in the air, yet to be addressed. Rose continued to stare impassively out the window. The moonlight reflecting off her face made her look unguarded and tentative and Alisha wondered if Rose, despite her cheery facade, was just as weary as Alisha herself had been as of late. Outside, an owl hooted forlornly from a tree. The wind rustled softly through the branches.

“If you want my answer, I think you’d make a great Shepherd,” Alisha said finally.

“I didn’t ask, you know.”

“Not directly.” Alisha smiled again, this time gentle and bright.

“Ugh, okay, okay. I did come here to ask you.” Rose pulled a face, causing Alisha to laugh. “I wasn’t sure about it how you’d feel about it. I know Sorey was important to you too. I’m sorry.”

Truth be told, it still chafed at Alisha that she couldn’t lend Sorey her strength in his final moments, but she knew that Rose would become a Shepherd that Sorey would be proud of. That she would also be proud of. Rose was cunning, capable, and a natural leader. She was an eloquent improviser and unafraid to speak her mind, things Alisha had always admired and aspired to.

“I think Sorey would be more than happy for you to continue what he started.”

“Thanks.”

The future was in good hands on that front at least - Rose would continue to convey the seraphim’s wisdom and bring people’s faith back to the land, slowly but surely. What was left was for her to lead Hyland to peace and prosperity, to end all needless conflict and bloodshed for as long as she could.

Rose cleared her throat. “So, if you ever need help with anything, just let me know. The Sparrowfeathers have got your back.”

“Thank you, Rose. Let’s work together, shall we?”

“Yeah!”

The ache in Alisha's heart was still there, but for now it was starting to dull slightly, in the face of growing hope.

Both of their chosen paths would be long and arduous, but at least she knew neither of them would be fighting alone.

\----

_\- A few days later -_

“Is everyone ready?” Lailah asked. It was barely sunrise but the next town was half a day’s travel away and Rose wanted to get an early start.

She wasn’t much of a morning person, but was full of restless energy lately. She was excited to begin her journey as Glenwood’s new Shepherd; she learned best by _doing_ over reading any books, that was for sure.

She waited impatiently for the Sparrowfeathers to finish loading up their wagons. Their next trade route coincided with Rose’s journey for the first few towns, after which they’d part ways. She liked it better this way, at least she’d have a week or two to spend with them before going off on her own for real. Well, she wasn’t technically going to be alone, but she knew that she’d eventually miss having human company around.

“Rose!”

She turned around, to see an out of breath Alisha running towards her. She must have sprinted all the way out to the edge of the woods from the palace.

“Rose, thank goodness I found you before you left.” She leaned over, huffing.  
  
“Hey, take it easy.” Rose offered her a drink of water. “It didn’t occur to you to take a horse?”

Alisha’s cheeks flushed in embarrassment. “Yes, but the stableman wasn’t awake yet. I felt like I’d miss you leaving if I didn’t come here right away.” 

“What’s so urgent?”

“I… wanted to give you this.” Alisha handed Rose a small parcel.

Rose unwrapped it, and it was - oh. _Oh._ She slowly unfolded a white cape with blue-black embroidery. It was shorter than Sorey’s, with modest curved edges instead of pointed ones, but the symbols and motifs were unmistakable.

“Alisha, I-”

“I had one made for Sorey before he left Ladylake, so I thought I’d do the same for you.”

Rose was touched. “This is the most awesome thing ever. Thank you so, so much.”  With tears in her eyes, she pulled Alisha into a tight hug. “I’ll make sure to take good care of it.”

“I’m really glad you like it. I wish you the best of luck on your journey.”

“Same to you, Alisha.”

\----

Sorey had given Alisha the name _Melphis Amekia_ \- “Smiling Alisha”. She wasn’t sure if she could live up to that now, but with prospect of Glenwood changing for the better, she knew that someday she would smile from the bottom of her heart. Perhaps by then, everybody else would smile along with her.

She promised to not give up until that came true.

\----

Sorey had given Rose the name _Wilkis Wilk_ \- “Rose is Rose” - and to this day, Rose still wasn’t sure what he really meant by that. At the time it seemed like it was a lazy cop-out. But Rose always stayed true to her convictions and always solved her way out of a pinch situation in some strange roundabout way that only she could. Maybe that’s what it was, or maybe it was best not to overthink it.

Either way, Rose promised to never give up until she did everything only _she_ could do.

**Author's Note:**

> written for the Tales of Zestiria Secret Santa hosted by my friend [Cait](https://twitter.com/mikleoscirclet) \- thanks for putting this together!
> 
> I retconned the post-game DLC Alisha chapter because I wasn't too fond of how it was written. This is my take on Rose and Alisha's interactions after the main game.


End file.
